HUMBLE, Texas — Ben Curtis won the Texas Open last year to secure a spot in the Masters, but it wasn't enough to get him into the Bridgestone Invitational, a 15-minute drive from where he lives in Ohio. The Texas Open had such a weak field that Curtis did not earn enough world ranking points for the winner to qualify for Firestone.

That won't be the case this year, and not just because Rory McIlroy — the No. 2 player in the world — made a last-minute decision to play.